Ridgway Brewster Knight (June 12, 1911 – August 14, 2001) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 diplomat who served as Ambassador to Syria

United States Ambassador to Syria

The United States Ambassador to Syria is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Syria.From the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire in 1922 until 1944, Syria had been under the control of France as a part of the League of Nations French Mandate of...

 (1961-1965), Belgium

United States Ambassador to Belgium

In 1832, shortly after the creation of the Kingdom of Belgium, the United States established diplomatic relations. Since that time, a long line of distinguished envoys have represented American interests in Belgium. These diplomats included men and women whose career paths would lead them to...

 (1965-1969) and Portugal

United States Ambassador to Portugal

This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Portugal.Bilateral diplomatic relations between the United States and Portugal date from the earliest years of the United States. Following the Revolutionary War, Portugal was the first neutral country to recognize the United States. On February...

 (1969-1973).

The son of American parents living in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, he studied and graduated from Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...

 in 1931. Following his studies, Knight began importing French wine

French wine

French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...

 to the US, and in 1942 took part in organizing the US landing in Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

.

Knight served as US ambassador to several countries, and later served as president of the American Club of Paris (1984-1989). His grandson, Ridgway B. Knight 3rd, married Patricia Wachtell on May 30, 1987.
Knight died in Inxent

Inxent

Inxent is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A small village situated some 5 miles north of Montreuil-sur-Mer on the D127 road, in the valley of the river Course.-Population:...

, France, at the age of 90.

Sources

• "AMBASSADOR RIDGWAY B. KNIGHT", The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training
• The John F. Kennedy National Security Files, 1961–1963